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MorningMed is the best way to keep up with the world of health and medicine through curated round-ups, useful insights and other practical resources.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded a cantaloupe recall, adding three more brands—Rudy, Freshness Guaranteed, and RaceTrac—due to a salmonella outbreak. The recall comes as the number of people affected by salmonella has more than doubled, prompting health officials to advise consumers who purchased the recalled cantaloupes to discard them and thoroughly clean surfaces that encountered the fruit.

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments regarding the legality of a settlement plan by the maker of OxyContin, Purdue Pharma, to resolve thousands of lawsuits related to the opioid crisis. The agreement involves the Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma, giving up ownership of the company and contributing up to $6 billion to combat the opioid crisis. The Supreme Court will determine if the agreement violates federal law and may impact other product liability lawsuits settled through bankruptcy.

The FDA's approval of an at-home test for chlamydia and gonorrhea is seen as a positive step for earlier detection and treatment amid the rising epidemic of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the U.S. The at-home test, called Simple 2, allows users to self-test and send samples to a laboratory for analysis.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a 5% increase in abortion rates in the United States in 2021, the final year under Roe v. Wade. The report indicates 625,978 reported abortions in 2021, with a rate of 11.6 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44. Women in their twenties accounted for over half of abortions (57%), and adolescents under age 15 and adults aged 40 and older had the lowest percentages of abortions (0.2% and 3.6%, respectively).

President Joe Biden declared an emergency over lead contamination in the U.S. Virgin Islands after tests on St. Croix revealed levels more than one hundred times the limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency. However, experts, including Marc Edwards, a lead and water expert at Virginia Tech, have expressed skepticism about the results, suggesting that the samples collected from the water meter may produce artificially high results.

A ban on menthols has long been sought by public health experts and advocacy groups, and it would have a disproportionate effect on Black smokers.

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In today’s fast-paced world, health concerns are becoming increasingly prevalent, and one issue that has gained significant attention in recent years is obesity. While the detrimental effects of obesity on overall health are well-known, recent studies have shed light on a particularly alarming connection between obesity and cancer. Research indicates that a high body mass index (BMI) in late teens is associated with an increased risk of seventeen types of cancer, emphasizing the critical importance of addressing obesity early on.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has requested more information from Chinese officials regarding an increase in respiratory illnesses and pneumonia clusters among children in China. Chinese authorities linked the rise in respiratory diseases to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and the circulation of various pathogens, including influenza, mycoplasma pneumoniae, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and SARS-CoV-2.

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Is There a Doctor in the House?

A 70-year-old woman comes to the office because of a 1-month history of gradually worsening shortness of breath. Medical history is significant for hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Routine medications are atorvastatin and lisinopril. The patient appears to be in respiratory distress. Vital signs are temperature 36.7°C (98.0°F), pulse 122/min and irregularly irregular, respirations 28/min, and blood pressure 144/88 mm Hg. Pulse oximetry on room air shows an oxygen saturation of 90%. Pulmonary examination discloses dullness to percussion three-quarters of the way up on the left. Results of laboratory studies are shown:



ECG shows atrial fibrillation with a rapid ventricular response. Chest x-ray shows a large left pleural effusion. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in evaluation?

Eating more ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is linked to a higher risk of developing cancers in the upper aerodigestive tract, including the mouth, throat, and esophagus, according to an international study analyzing data from 450,111 adults over approximately 14 years. The study suggests that the association between UPF consumption and these cancers is not solely explained by obesity, highlighting potential contributions from additives, artificial sweeteners, contaminants, and other mechanisms.

Accumulation of visceral fat around organs, even in individuals with healthy body mass indexes (BMIs), may be linked to an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a study presented at the Radiological Society of North America's annual meeting. The research, analyzing MRI scans and health parameters of individuals aged 40 to 60, suggests that the association between visceral fat and Alzheimer's risk may be independent of traditional measures like BMI, emphasizing the importance of considering fat distribution for understanding health risks.

Life expectancy data in the United States reveals a widening gap between men and women, increasing to 5.8 years in 2021, the largest difference since 1996, according to research led by UC San Francisco and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The trend, attributed to factors like the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid overdose crisis, emphasizes the need for specialized care for men and public health interventions to address the decline in life expectancy, which dropped to 76.1 years in 2021 from 78.8 years in 2019.

Duke University researchers have developed a brain implant, described in the journal Nature Communications, which translates brain signals into speech. The device, evaluated on patients undergoing brain surgery, uses 256 microscopic sensors to record brain activity during a simple listen-and-repeat task, achieving 40% accuracy in decoding the spoken sounds. The researchers aim to create a wireless version of the device with a recent $2.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, potentially offering a communication solution for individuals with speech impairments due to neurological disorders.

Thank you for reading! More next week,

My best wishes for a productive and idea-filled week ahead. Thanks for your ongoing efforts to improve the lives of the patients we all serve. Please send any news, comments, suggestions and ideas to hello@morningmed.email.

Quiz answer: The correct answer is D) "Thoracentesis"

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